I don’t have a specific update on Sullivan, but there is something that’s been on my mind that’s relevant from an industry standpoint.
Here’s the thing. Some words, even if they’re very short, can pack a lot of punch. “No” is a powerful word. And “not” turns things into their opposite (just ask any kid from the early ‘90s, or Borat).
Here’s where I’m going with this. You may have heard about the well blowout that occurred near Hythe, Alberta. On Friday, the ERCB issued a news release saying that well-control specialists have regained control and ended the blowout.
I‘m sure this is a great relief to the company involved, and the industry as a whole. Incidents like this are rare, but extremely serious.
I can certainly see why residents near the well site were concerned. But I can’t see why some people (not necessarily the residents) tried to inject more concern into an already sombre situation.
When air monitoring consistently shows that sour gas is not present (or to use words like the ERCB, “there have been no readings of sour gas”), the words “not” and “no” are key.
And that’s why I can’t understand why some blogs and Twitter users would assert/imply that sour gas (hydrogen sulphide) emissions were widespread. That’s a serious claim! And as someone who grew up near sour gas facilities, and someone who works in a company that develops sour gas fields, I can’t appreciate why anyone would make that claim lightly.
The important thing right now is that the blowout has ended, and no one was hurt. Those words are definitely important. But looking back, I also wanted to point out the importance of the other “little” words.
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